Rachel is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rachel means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rachel across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rachel has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rachel is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “ewe”. a biblical matriarch, wife of Jacob.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 575,748 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 19,015 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 11,587 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,431 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 14,435 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 9,769 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rachel per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1985 (16,437/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (2,120/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1993 (555/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1997 (543/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (223/yr).
Rachel has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1985, when it ranked #40 nationally (given to 16,995 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Rochelle · Rachelle · Racheal · Richelle · Rachele · Rachell · Raechel · Rochell
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